


Help Through the Headache

by GeckoGirl89



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: Angel Investigations | Team Angel, Before 3.11 (Birthday), Canon Compliant, Community: comment_fic, Cordelia's Killer Visions, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Post-Episode: s03e02 That Vision Thing, Season/Series 03, Subtext, implied major character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 20:43:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9343061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeckoGirl89/pseuds/GeckoGirl89
Summary: Cordelia was trying to treat Angel's wounds from the latest fight, but the spots dancing in front of her eyes were making it difficult to concentrate. She blinked, touching her temple gingerly with her hand, as a shooting pain stabbed through her head again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the comment-fic prompt "Angel, Cordelia/Angel, helping Cordelia through vision migraines": http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/142817.html?thread=30477537#t30477537
> 
> One minor wording change from the original fill on Livejournal.

Cordelia was trying to treat Angel's wounds from the latest fight, but the spots dancing in front of her eyes were making it difficult to concentrate. She blinked, touching her temple gingerly with her hand, as a shooting pain stabbed through her head again.

"Cor, you've got to stop."

She squinted up at him through the painfully bright light. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

Angel let out a weary sigh. "You're clearly in pain. You need to go to bed." He pushed his chair back and stood up.

Cordy shook her her head, even though it made her kind of dizzy. "But I haven't finished patching you up yet." It was the one thing she could do to be useful to Angel and his mission, besides acting as his conduit to the Powers That Be through her visions. She wasn't like Wesley, who had been trained as a Watcher and was gifted at researching translations for prophecies. She wasn't like Gunn, who had led his own gang of vampire hunters and was an exceptionally good fighter. Hell, she wasn't even like Fred, who was a genius physicist and brilliant inventor. Despite Angel's recent kind words, she knew he wouldn't need her without her visions.

And now she couldn't even play nurse gal. Ordinarily, Cordy would be able to hide just how much the visions were affecting her. But today's vision had been particularly bad and the pain hadn't even abated slightly once the guys killed the evil demon like it normally would.

"I'll live," Angel said. Cordelia didn't even have the strength to let out a weak chuckle or make some joke about how Angel was dead, so actually he wouldn't live. He turned to where Fred was patching up Gunn. "Guys, did she get some kind of painkiller before we left?"

"I gave her some Excedrin Extra Strength just before we left," Gunn replied. "I think it might be a little too soon to get her anything more." He frowned over at her in concern, and Fred had a similar expression on her face. Nobody in the room knew, but Cordelia had taken much more powerful prescription drugs in the bathroom after she made the excuse of needing to go to the restroom. Medicine couldn't do anything for her now other than alleviate the pain somewhat before she passed away, and sometimes it couldn't even do that.

Angel nodded and directed his attention to Wes, who was sitting up on the couch after Fred had tended to him and looking alert. "Wes, can you get an ice pack for Cordy? I'm gonna take her up to my room so she can get some rest."

Wes swiftly rose from the couch and strode to the kitchen. "I'm on it."

Angel began to lift her up from the floor. "I told you, I'm fine." _As fine as someone who is dying can be, anyway._

Angel smiled weakly. "You're so stubborn." He didn't sound irritated with her. He sounded more fond and worried than anything else.

Cordy tried to shove Angel off when he started leading her towards the stairs. "I can walk on my own," she protested. But when she tried to take a few steps, she stumbled. _Damn it!_ She hated looking weak.

Angel caught her before she was even close to hitting the floor. "Apparently, you can't." He steered her carefully up the stairs to his room. The light was still on, and Angel immediately turned it off when he saw her wincing at the light. The room was drenched in total darkness.

"That better?" he whispered.

Cordelia managed the strength to nod. "Much."

Angel led her over to the bed, and Cordy slowly laid down. Angel lifted the firm pillow under her head and replaced it with something soft and cushy. She closed her eyes, starting to feel a tiny bit better. Maybe Angel was right, and this was exactly what she needed. 

Wesley padded over to them softly and handed the ice pack to Angel, who held it to Cordelia's forehead. "Good night, Cordelia."

Cordelia's lips quirked upward. "Night, Wes." 

He exited the room and quietly shut the door behind him. Now, it was just Angel and Cordy again.

Angel gently moved a strand of Cordelia's hair away with his cool fingertips. It was just as soothing as the cold icepack on her head. Angel made a soft, depressed noise. "I wish there was something I could do for you."

Cordy frowned. She hated that she was making Angel sad and guilty when all she wanted to do was bring at least a little happiness to his miserable existence. It wasn't his fault anyway. Cordelia had made her choice for better or for worse in Pylea, when she had refused to give up her visions by sleeping with the Groosalugg. As painful as the visions were, they were a part of her now.

"Angel--" she started.

"Shh, don't talk, baby."

If she weren't in the midst of a terrible migraine, Cordelia would have had a million internal questions about the nickname. As it was, she just relaxed against the pillow and enjoyed the word Angel had accidentally used.

Angel gently stroked her temple and the shell of her ear. He pecked her on the cheek, and his touch was light as a feather, barely there. A part of her wished that his kiss would land on her lips, but she discarded that thought as soon as it appeared. Angel only saw her as a friend, and even if he could feel that way about her, it would be cruel to ask that of him. She would die any day now, and she didn't want Angel to be in any more pain because of her. Angel could live for a hundred more years, and Cordy would be lucky to make it through the next few months.

After several more moments, Cordy stopped thinking about Angel, or her eventual death, or anything else, really. She finally began to fall asleep, miraculously comforted by Angel's touch despite her suffering.


End file.
